A single word was sufficient to subdue the stoutest heart!

(Charles Simeon)  LISTEN to Audio!  Download Audio

Matthew 4:18-22
"As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers—Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. "Come, follow Me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." At once they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there, He saw two other brothers—James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed Him."

When He was on earth, Jesus never coerced any to be His followers by outward force—a single word was sufficient to subdue the stoutest heart!

If He said to Matthew the greedy tax collector, "Follow Me!"—then not all the wealth of kingdoms could detain His willing captive!

If He said, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately!"—then behold, the covetous extortioner is instantly transformed into His benevolent and obedient follower!

He effectually called to Himself, whomever He desired. Such was His all-constraining power, that, without hesitation, they left all that they had, and followed Him! And though He promised His subjects nothing but poverty and persecution in this world—yet they all delighted to be His devoted followers, and gloried in suffering for His sake. So entirely did they yield up themselves to Him, that opposition served only to rivet their affections to Him, and to confirm them in their determination to live and die in His service!

To this day, multitudes in every place take, as it were, an oath of allegiance to Him, and are made willing to even lay down their lives for Him!